08-18-2018, 11:31 AM | #226 |
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 454
|
New auxiliary fuel tank, stainless trunk and windscreen on the xf250
So I finally had time to finish up a few improvements to the xf250 including a new windscreen, stainless steel trunk and 1.5 gallon fuel cell.
The windscreen is for a Duke 390 but it works great on the xf. It was in the $25 range on Amazon and definitely worth the money with all the commuting I do on this bike. It cuts down on the wind from the helmet down very noticeably at freeway speeds.
__________________
2013 SSR XF-250 |
|
08-18-2018, 11:47 AM | #227 |
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 454
|
Next I added the new stainless case. I was getting sick of spending money replacing the cheap plastic cases that I had used in the past. This case was on Taobao for about $75 and shipping was about $80 due to the size and weight of this beast. The chinese to english descriptions on these cases are very vague but Im happy with the size and sturdiness of it. Drilling mounting holes was a chore and I burnt out many drill bits in the process. It is more than enough to support the auxiliary fuel cell and it even has tie down points for camping gear. To show the dimensions on Taobao the seller used a photo of a giant green serrano chili pepper placed in the case to show how roomy it is. They sold me with that!
__________________
2013 SSR XF-250 |
|
08-18-2018, 12:05 PM | #228 |
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 454
|
Possibly my favorite upgrade to this bike so far is this auxiliary fuel cell. It is 1.5 gallons and was designed as a front fork mounted dirtbike tank with a siphon fuel line and cap. This is for sale on taobao for about $25.
I was able to install a petcock and fabricate mounts to secure to the new stainless trunk. The fuel line runs under the seat to a 1/4 brass tee above the carb. The only quirk here is that if I leave both petcocks open the aux will drain into the main tank, potentially overfilling and losing fuel. Not a big deal, I just have to remember to run one tank at a time, at least when both tanks are at or near full. This upgrade it great because my commute is 170 miles round trip and with the added range I only have to fill up once a day instead of twice. The xf comes stock with a 2.6 gallon tank and gets anywhere from 45 to 50mpg on the highway at 65-70mph. At 55-60mpg the range will be much better.
__________________
2013 SSR XF-250 |
|
08-18-2018, 01:50 PM | #229 |
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Pismo Beach
Posts: 387
|
Your other improvements
dh,
Is the seat on your xf250 the original seat, a replacement, or a custom fix up? I was wondering about the comfort of the seat. Also, can you briefly mention the other upgrades you’ve done to your bike to improve the comfort and sustainable cruising speed since you commute 170 miles daily?? I’ve been vasilating between the xf250 and the SG250. The xf250 looks to be roomier and more comfortable than the SG. Is the xf250’s comfortable cruising speed better than the SG250’s. Can you cruise long distance at 65mph with the stock chain rings? And did you make the purchase at Simi Valley Cycles? Thanks. PCG |
|
08-18-2018, 04:06 PM | #230 |
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 454
|
1cyl I bought mine from Pete at Kronik Racing in Simi Valley and he gave me a great price. He has cut back on selling SSR products so you might have to twist his arm to get you one. I should add that I only do my long commute 1 or 2 times a week at most; If I need to increase this I am going to find a cheap Buell Blast for the maintenance interval/mpg advantages.
The Xf seat is a stock OEM replacement. The firm/flat design was hard for me to get used to but I've really grown to like it and I think it's great for long rides; it's very easy to move to different seating positions and stretch the legs. Stock this bike was OK on the highway but after the break in period and a few mods it is greatly improved. Modifications I've done to make this better suited/comfy for longer rides include a carb kit, aftermarket air filter, modified stock muffler, heated hand grips, LED riding lights, 16 tooth front sprocket and LED gauges that include a trip-meter. I also removed some smog equipment that had the bike running a bit lean. Stock gearing is a 15/43 tooth setup with 420 chain. The stock gearing works great for most conditions and it will cruise at 65 all day. I have a 16 tooth front sprocket on mine which is great for cruising at 70 on long flat highway stretches. On the flip-side, the higher gearing makes 5th gear less useful on grades or at high altitude/headwind conditions. That being said, I can do 60-65 up the steepest stretches of the Cajon Pass which is about all my old ford focus wants to do, and about twice what the trucks are doing. Future mods include replacing the stock exhaust like user Derekon is doing now and adding an oil cooler.
__________________
2013 SSR XF-250 |
|
08-18-2018, 04:34 PM | #231 |
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 454
|
Product Links
Here are links to these products if anyone is interested.
Tank: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/568845580325.html Stainless Trunk: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/43513672980.html Windscreen: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
__________________
2013 SSR XF-250 |
|
08-18-2018, 07:10 PM | #232 | |
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Pismo Beach
Posts: 387
|
Quote:
Thanks for the information regarding your XF250, very informative and helpful. How do you think this bike measures up to the CSC tt250 bike? It looks to me that the XF250 engine is a lot more “modern” than the tt250’s engine, and probably requires less maintenance (more miles between valve adjustments) and better ergonomics. What do you think? PCG aka 1CW |
|
|
08-18-2018, 11:31 PM | #233 |
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Posts: 9,055
|
I don't think Kronik will be able to sell a SSR bike because Simi Cycles is now the dealer from what I understand, but it couldn't hurt to call him because he seems like he would be a great guy to do business with. I really like that he is NOT ashamed to sell Chinese products, including the Vader and the other Boom/Baodiao 'Grom-like-vehicles' or GLVs.
__________________
"They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard |
|
08-19-2018, 11:03 AM | #234 | |
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 454
|
Quote:
1CW I haven't ridden the tt250 so I can only make a comparison based on specs and other owner reviews. User 2LZ owns the older 200cc version of the SSR dualsport as well as the tt250. He has compared the two before, and he believes the older xf200 is superior to the tt250 in regards to quality, power, and performance. If the older less powerful xf200 is a superior bike in these ways, must the xf250 be even better? The tt250 looks like an awesome bike and it has some really nice upgrades built in. It sounds like a blast for trail riding and back-roads but I don't think it has the capability to do the long distance highway trips I have been able to do on my xf250. Until I move somewhere flat, cool, and closer to sea level I can't see losing any horsepower or displacement. Btw, the EFI version of this bike sold in other countries is rated for 21-22 hp. I would like to see that for sale here.
__________________
2013 SSR XF-250 |
|
|
08-20-2018, 10:21 AM | #235 |
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Topeka, KS
Posts: 84
|
Exhaust
DH, I got the exhaust on but that amazon pipe HAS GOTTA GO. It sounds like banshee being raped - not in a good way. lol So it sounds like i'lll be buying the FMF or Lextek for it, i haven't even wanted to ride it because it sounds so bad. lol
The exhaust system looks great though - Can anyone tell me where they got a better air filter at? I'm just not sure what size will fit mine.
__________________
2017 Yamaha FZ09 2016 Suzuki DRZ400SM 2016 SSR XF250 2003 Honda XR70 20XX SSR 125 Pit Bike 2011 Ninja ZX6R - Stolen 1996 Honda VFR750F - Sold - 2004 Suzuki GSXR750 -Totaled- Bunch of cars and trucks. lol |
|
08-20-2018, 04:02 PM | #236 |
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 454
|
Derekon the exhaust looks awesome too bad it sounds like crap. Exhaust is next on my list. Did all the welds turn out good?
__________________
2013 SSR XF-250 |
|
08-20-2018, 04:07 PM | #237 |
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Topeka, KS
Posts: 84
|
exhaust
Yes! My buddy welded up that port on the header pipe, like the stock exhaust has. He also welded the adapter piece to fit the muffler. Yea, it sucks that I can't stand the sound, but it's basically a straight through pipe. I'll probably go ahead and buy a lextek. Maybe use that one for something else down the road. I should have gotten more pics when i put it on, but I didn't. I was shifting it around a bit to make sure it cleared the rear spring.
__________________
2017 Yamaha FZ09 2016 Suzuki DRZ400SM 2016 SSR XF250 2003 Honda XR70 20XX SSR 125 Pit Bike 2011 Ninja ZX6R - Stolen 1996 Honda VFR750F - Sold - 2004 Suzuki GSXR750 -Totaled- Bunch of cars and trucks. lol |
|
08-20-2018, 05:32 PM | #238 |
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Volcano, Ca
Posts: 7,112
|
ICW, I have both the TT250 and the Qlink XP200, very similar to the XF250. Same company made them both.
I like the TT250. It's the best Hondoid available. That said, the Qlink (Qingqi) is an awesome bike. Built extremely well. It's "virtually Japanese". Hence, the extra $$$ though. I'd definitely buy another Qingqi product. No apprehensions. Well, other than support. CSC has it hands down there. That said, my Qlink has never broke. Derekon, that exhaust looks vaguely familiar!
__________________
"Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350 |
|
08-21-2018, 09:50 AM | #240 |
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Topeka, KS
Posts: 84
|
exhaust
2LZ, so i'm guessing it doesn't sound as bad on your bike? sooooooo bad on mine. lol Didn't you have an FMF on it?
__________________
2017 Yamaha FZ09 2016 Suzuki DRZ400SM 2016 SSR XF250 2003 Honda XR70 20XX SSR 125 Pit Bike 2011 Ninja ZX6R - Stolen 1996 Honda VFR750F - Sold - 2004 Suzuki GSXR750 -Totaled- Bunch of cars and trucks. lol |
|
|
|
|
|